While most people love to travel and visit popular tourist destinations, I prefer to explore areas that are yet to be shared on social media or watched on Instagram and YouTube channels. One such place is the small island village hidden within the shadow of Siargao’s popularity.
Dubbed as one of the world’s most beautiful island destinations in South East Asia, Siargao Island has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in Mindanao both by local and foreign tourists.
Yet amid the sudden surge in tourism and development in most parts of the island, Siargao has remained in most parts, unspoiled, with several areas yet to be fully explored by tourists. One such place is one of the small island barangays found in the town of Del Carmen, an island paradise known to locals as Halian.
As a photojournalist and someone who is into travel and wildlife photography, exploring parts of Siargao that have yet to reach the eyes of mainstream tourism has always been a part of my bucket list, Halian has been on that list for more than six years.
Halian Island is situated in the middle of the ocean that separates the Siargao Island and the island province of Dinagat. It is a small island barangay covering 24 hectares with a population of around 1,100 individuals.
With parts of the country on lockdown brought by the global pandemic, visiting the island for the first time back in November 2020 was something I did not imagine. Luckily, I had been able to get the opportunity to explore and travel to the island.
Tourists who would want to explore the island should first coordinate with the local tourism office near the port in Del Carmen and book a boat ride for around P2,500. From there, the boat travels for about one to two hours covering more than 20 kilometers of open waters depending on the weather and sea conditions.
Preferably, the best time to visit the island would be during the summer season as waves would be more subtle compared to those months when the sea is rougher as that of the rainy season.
Upon reaching the island, you will immediately be greeted with the laid-back lifestyle of the islanders while they tend to their fishing gears, boats and witness as fisherfolks unload the fresh catch of the day.
Halian is the kind of place where you’ll eat the best fresh seafood with your feet in the sand and the best part about the meal, is the prices of the fish, squid, shrimps or crabs are nowhere close to the expensive menu you would get in any restaurant in the big cities.
One of the islands delicacy would be their dried fish, each day the villager would process hundreds of freshly caught cardinal fish to be dried and even a mix of other species which would be one mouth-watering experience.
The island is small, one could even explore the 3-kilometer circumferential white-sand coastline in a single day, but even with its small size, the island is blessed with nature’s beauty, from its fine white-sand beach, crystal clear blue to turquoise waters to breathtaking underwater marine life.
Definitely, the place is far from the hustle and bustle of the city life. While other island destinations in Siargao like those found in the town of General Luna, attract a hefty number of tourists, the island of Halian is still free from the usual crowded beach party life, compared to what most popular beaches are offering, making it suitable for a nomad like me to explore and experience.
If you’re looking for fine hotel quality accommodations, 24 hours electricity, good mobile phone connection and sufficient Internet data access then Halian island is not for you, well not right now, as facilities are still being constructed for future tourism expansions.
But if off the beaten path travel is what you have in mind, then I would recommend staying in the island for a day or two, and experience the island life, enjoy the hospitality and friendly atmosphere the locals of Halian has to offer.
While the island also lacks electricity, the entire village is powered by a supplied generator that is turned on from six in the evening until 10 in the evening. As for mobile communication and data for Internet use, only certain parts of the island have mobile phone signal and data connectivity.
Travelers can also request the generator be turned on to charge your mobile devices and camera batteries, but it does come with a price.
For the best experience, I would recommend bringing a tent, and sleep near the coastline and be mesmerized by the beauty of the evening stars as they illuminate the dark night.
Definitely, Halian Island is a place I would want to return and experience more and hopefully in a not too distant future.
